1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a car body, in particular to railway vehicles.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
A similar car body of the prior art (DE 195 21 192 A1) has, in the vicinity of its long side walls, two longitudinal roof beams, between which a roof closing plate is fastened in a water-tight manner. The roof closing plate thereby supports the auxiliary units, and is supported by transverse roof arches that are located underneath the roof closing plate and extend from one longitudinal roof beam to the other.
The object of the invention is to apply measures to a car body by means of which the load on the roof closing plate can be reduced.
In one configuration of a car body as claimed by the invention, the roof closing plate is relieved of roof loads that occur as a result of the heavy auxiliary equipment units that are installed on the roof, such as the current collector, the air conditioning unit, control and regulation equipment, braking resistances, etc. The forces caused by these units are transmitted directly to the longitudinal roof beams via the outboard transverse roof arches. The roof closing plate can therefore be designed to absorb reduced loads, and can therefore be made lighter in weight. The displacement of the transverse roof arches outward also provides an opportunity for a more flexible internal configuration of the ceiling of the car body. No additional components are necessary, because the roof arches are merely displaced from the inside to the outside on the top of the car body. In addition to the auxiliary equipment, the roof arches also preferably support at least one body cover panel, whereby either one body cover panel covers all of the roof arches over at least most of their extent, or individual body cover panels are associated with different pieces of auxiliary equipment. The auxiliary equipment is straddled by the body cover panels, and is thus protected against the effects of weather, climate and other outside factors. It is also impossible for dirt to accumulate between the transverse roof arches. Each body cover panel is thereby provided each with a hatch that can be opened to provide access to the individual auxiliary units covered. It is also possible on at least some of the transverse roof arches to suspend the roof closing plate by means of suitable holders, so that the roof closing plate, for its part, is supported by the transverse roof arches and can therefore be realized in a lighter-weight construction, or can be isolated from extraordinary loads, for example if a person performing work in the vicinity of the roof or on the auxiliary equipment units steps between the transverse roof arches and thus on the roof closing plate.
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying schematic diagrams.